The Brookhaven leader., 1887-07-07
THE PENITENTIARY.
The Lessees Found Violating Va
rlous Rules and Not Making
Proper Provision for the
Sick.

AT meeting of the Board of
Control Of the Mississippi Peniben-
liary, held ut the capital June Is,
1887, the following proceedings were
hal:
The Board of Control on the 18th
and 18th instant made an inspec-
ton of the Penitentiary convicts in
Harrison county at work on the con
struction OF the Cult aud Ship Ia.
land Railroad. tits ordered that the
following be entered in the minutes
of the board as the result Of said
inspection:
There are in Harrison county at
work on said road 55l convicts, di-
vided into three camps. We find
rules and regulations established for
the government of the Penitcntiary
VIOLATED in the following particu-
lars:
Il. Copies of the printed rules
and regulation are not preserved and
placed in the hands of the guards.
"2. Convicts are permitted to act
as guards.
"3. Sufficient hospital accommo'
dations are not furnished. The diet
provided for the sick is not suita-
bile. In one camp there is no sep.
arate place of confinement or hos
pital for them, but they are placed
in the stockade with other eonvicts
with no bedding except some worn
and exceedingly dirty blankets
The necessity for better accomoda'
tions for the sick is shown by the
fact that there are sixty-seven on
the sick list at three camps, fifteen
Of whom have the measles. Stuff
Gent trusses are not provided
some convicts with hernia being al
work without them.
"a Convicts have not, all oil
them, sufficient clothing for a change
and to enable them them 10 keep
clearly and free from vermin.
8. The convicts are not washed
or given an opportunity to wash
themselves, as the rules require.
&c. No devotional or religious
exercises are provided at the camps
as required by the rules and regula'
tions, so far as has come TO the
knowledge OF this board.
~. Some convicts are allowed to
go without the convict garb in
open disregard and violation of the
rules and regulations prescribed by
the Board of Control.
"The following convicts were
found to be unfit for duty Of any
kind at the camps in question, and
40 declared to be by the physi.
clan in charge, and it is Their. fore
directed that said cnnvicts, viz;
No. 90. Goodwin, and No. 1886, Bot
eastman, be returned to the walls
at jackson.
1--WE find that the convicts are well
fed, and no instances OF cruel treat
ment at the camps in question have
come to our knowledge at the meet
ing held by the board at Mississip
pi City, June Is.
"A communication was addressed
to Capt. w. H. HARDY, the presi.
dent of the Gulf and Ship Island
Railroad, calling his attention and
that of the lessecs TO the foregoing
instances of violations of the rules
and regulations, and insisting on the
observance Of the same. 1t is now
ordered that the lessees be request
ed to meet the Board of Control to
morrow morning at 10 O'Clock. for
conference relative TO the subject
matter of said report.
1T is further ordered that Hon.
DAVID Johnston, superintendent of
the peniten tiary, be again, as he was
by letter from Mississippi City,
requested to report to said camps
and remain there and report at once
any failure on the part OF the man
agement 10 observe and enforce the
said rules and regulations. The
physician of the penitentiary, Dr..
Writ Johnston, having complained
that the diet and bedding for the
sick in the hospital in the walls are
insufficient, Col. w. L. Nugent, one
of the company, appeared before the
board on the Goth of June, and stat
ed that any requisition that DR..
Johnston may make for the hospital
will be filed at once +; that instance
Of violations of the rules and regula-
tions cited in the foregoing report
shall be reme(lied, and that the said
rules and regulations shall in future
be strictly complied with.